Aeroplane-destroying gun.



I. SACHAR.

AEROPLANE DESTROYING GUN.

APPLICATION FILEDJULY l2, l9l6- Patented Oct. 3,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l J. SACHAR.

AEROPLANE DESTROYING GUN.

APPLICATiON man JULY 12. I916.-

LQGG OM. Patented Oct. 3,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

gnuemkw J. SACHAR.

AEROPLANE DESTROYING GUN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. I916. 1,200,034. Patented Oct. 3,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SACHAB, OF KATO, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO ANTONINE ULANITZKI, OF SHENANDOAH, PENNSYLVANIA.

AEROPLANE-DESTROYING GUN.

aoopsa.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN SAO'HAR, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Kato, in the county of Center and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane-Destroying Guns, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a gun adapted for destroying air crafts such as aeroplanes and war balloons, the same being provided with an armored truck adapted for conveying the gun to an accessible point for firing without endangering the artillerymen from flying missiles.

A further object of the device is to provide a gun having a mounting means upon an armored truck, the mounting means being capable of shifting the gun in any desired direction and at any vertical angle that may be required.

A. still further object of the device is to provide a truck having an adjustable gun carriage mounted thereon, the said truck being provided with armored sides readily adjusted from an inclosing position to their open separated positions when desired for upwardly firing the gun mounted upon the carriage.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several viewsz-Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device with portions of the truck shown in vertical longitudinal section with one of the armored sides removed. Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the same in its open position with portions of the armored sides broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the truck with oneof the armored sides closed and the other in its open position. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed July 12, 1916. Serial No. 103,861.

parts broken away illustrating the adjustable bracing means for the armored sides of the truck. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the inner face of the rear axle block, and Elg. 6 is an elevational view of a side port1on of the gun mount with the gun partially broken away.

The present invention broadly contemplates the provision of a truck 10 having a platform 11 mounted upon wheels 12, the said platform being provided with opposite armored inclosing sides 13 hinged thereto for the protection of a gun 14 mounted upon an adjustable carriage 15 carried by the platform 11 as well as for the protection of the soldiers having charge of the said fire-arm. The gun carria e comprises a base 16 in the form of a dis having a plurality of depending legs 17 in each of which a roller 18 is journaled for running upon a circular track 19, the said legs 17 having depending hooks 20 for engaging within an annular groove 20 peripherally arranged in the said track, the latter being secured, flatly positioned, upon the truck platform 11 with the center of the said track directly over the supporting block 22 of the rear axle 23. Opposite parallel vertical sides 24 are provided for the gun mount positioned upon the base 16 and connected together by braces 24, the gun 1 L being pivotally mounted upon the sides 24 by means of a shaft 25.

A central depending shaft 26 is carried by the base 16 having a pinion 27 mounted on the lower end thereof within a cut away portion 28 of the rearaxle block 22. An

operating shaft 29 is centrally arranged j ournaled beneath the rear end of the platform 11 having a pinion 30 in constant mesh with the said pinion 27 and arranged with a hand wheel 31 at the rear of the truck. It will thus be evident that by turning the wheel 31 in the required direction, the disk by a hand knob 36 at the opposite side of the gun mount 15. A gear 37 is carried by the shaft 25 at the opposite side thereof from the gear 32 in constant mesh with a gear 38 carried by the adjacent side 24 0f the gun mount while an operating lever 39 is arranged for ratcheting engagement with the gear 38. By means of the lever 39, the

shaft 25 and gun 14 may be turned as found desirable when the hook 35 is released by means of the handle 36 and. when the gun 14 is arranged at the proper vertical angu lar adjustment the handle 36 is operated for engaging the hook 35- with the stub gear 34 for retaining the gun adjusted.

The truck 10 may be propelled in any desired manner and may be in the formof a motor truck if desired. A forwardly inclined curved hood 40 is preferably arranged after the manner of a bullet shield being rovided with a serviceable view port 41 w ile an ammunition case 42 upon the platform 11 has the lid 43 thereof arranged as aseat for the artillerymen. Steps 44 are arranged at the rear of the platform 11 at opposite sides of the carriage mount adjusting wheel 31.

The armored sides 13 are provided with curved metallic side plates 45 and are hinged as at 46 to the opposite edges of the plat form 11 being I provided with closed rear ends 46 and with forward closing plates 47, the latter fitting over the hood 40, whereby when the sides 13 are closed the gun 14 and everything mounted upon the platform 11 is fully protected against bullets and any flying missiles. Upright posts 48 are carried by the platform 11 adapted for engagement by the sides 13 when the latter are closed, staples 49 being carried by the said sides projecting through perforations 50 in the said posts adapted to be engaged by pins 51 carried by the said posts and whereby the sides 13 are retained in their closed positions.

Braces 52 are hinged to the sides 13 as at 53 adapted to be retained inoperative by means of spring clips 54 when the said sides are closed. The said braces 52 are provided with hooks 55 at their free ends adapted for adjustable engagement with toothed racks 56 carried by the platform 11 when the sides 13 are swung outwardly and downwardly in their partially or completely opened positions. Operating levers 57 are provided for the sides 13 pivoted to racks 58 carried by the platform 11 and extending through perforations 59 in the said platform, the lower ends of the said levers 57 being pivotally attached to the lower ends of the arms 60 of the sides 13 by means oflinks 61, it being noted that the upper ends of the arms 60 are rigidly connected to the sides 13. Spring pressed catch bars 62 are having carried by the levers 57 adapted for engagement within notches 63 of the racks 58 or maintainin the levers 57 and the sides 13 in their ad usted positions.

From this detailed description of the entire device, it will be understood that the sides 13 being closed, the truck 11 is propelled to position the gun 14 within shooting range of the aeroplane or air craft to be destroyed. When such position is gained, the levers 57 will be actuated upon releasing the securing pins 51 and the sides 13 separated and lowered to the desired degree and retained in their adjusted positions by means of the braces 52 and bars 62. The gun 14 may be then readily operated by turning in the desired direction by means of the wheel 31 and tilted at the desired vertical angle by means of the lever 39 as hereinbefore described. The sides 13 when completely opened as best illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings form side extensions for the platform 11 although it is unnecessary to completely open the same for the usual firing of the gun 14 upwardly while the gun may be employed for shooting at one side of the truck when one of the members 13 is opened as best illustrated in Fig. 3 while the other side then forms a bullet guard or protector.

What I claim as new is 1. A device of the class described comprising a wheel truck having a platform, an adj ustable gun carriage mounted upon the said platform, a forwardly-inclined curved bullet deflecting hood arranged forwardly of the said truck having a sight opening therein, armored sides hinged to the opposite edges of the said platform having curved bullet deflecting plates, manual tilting means for the said sides and adjustable retaining braces for the latter.

2. A device of the class described comprising a wheel truck having a latform, a circular track upon the said plat orm, a disk base shiftably arranged upon the said track, revolving means for the said base operable rearwardly of the said latform, a gun pivotally arranged upon the said base, an ad justable tilting means for the said 11, a forwardly inclined curved bullet de ecting hood arranged forwardly of the said truck a sight opening therein, armored sides hinged to the opposite edges of the said plat orm having curvedbullet deflecting plates, manual tilting means for the said sides and adjustable retaining braces for the latter.

3. A device of the class described comprising a wheel truck having a platform, a bullet deflecting hood forwardly arranged thereon, curved armored inclosing sides pivoted to the opposite edges of the said platform, adjustable retaining braces for the said sides, depending arms carried by the said sides, operating levers pivoted upon the said platform linked to the said arms and locking devices carried by the said levers.

4. A device of the classdescribed comprising a platform, a base revolubly mounted thereon, an operating wheel for the said base positioned rearwardly of the said platform, a gun mount positioned upon the said base,

a gun journaled transversely in the top of 10 the said mount, a shifting lever for the said gun at one side of the sa1d mount and a retaining hook for the gun at the opposite side of the said mount operable adjacent the said operating lever.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

J'OHN SACHAR. 

